the week drags on
and on,
essay after essay after project after test,
i need to recharge.
my eyes close
refusing to stay alert:
no longer fueled,

i cannot sleep.
toss
turn
flip the pillow
sit up
lay down
think.

my thoughts keep me awake.
sounds outside and inside
of me interrupt slumber,
stress, anxiety, worries
too much to handle:
what if
what if
what if.

i cannot sleep.
toss
turn
flip the pillow
sit up
lay down
think.

they say
“we all get tired”
but not like this:
hearing the seconds tick by: heartbeat,
watching nightmares reach from under my closet,
hoping to sleep again.

i cannot sleep.
toss
turn
flip the pillow
sit up
lay down,
insomnia.